With the rise of TV shows – such as ‘Love Island’ and ‘Keeping Up with The Kardashians’ – which celebrate a person’s ‘perfect appearance’, redefining the very nature of what we all perceive to be true beauty.
Is there any wonder that in reflection of this, there has been an equal rise in the number of cosmetic procedures that young people are having, to achieve this ‘perfection?’
Jackie Doyle-Price (Conservative minister) shares the belief that tv shows have contributed towards this rise. She says:
“Love Island puts across an unrealistic picture of body image. We also see it in The Only Way is Essex, everyone having lip fillers and boob jobs and hair extensions. The truth is we come in different sizes. People need to understand that all these procedures come with risk.”
The Numbers Never Lie
In May of this year, The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons released their annual audit in relation to the number of cosmetic procedures that were taking place per year. They found that over 28,000 procedures took place in 2018. Of all the recorded procedures the three most popular procedures were breast augmentation, breast reduction and blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery). All of which were predominantly undertaken by women (92% of all surgeries were done on women).
However, as of 2017, the number of cosmetic procedures was at an all-time low with only around 28,315 recorded cosmetic surgery procedures taking place. A substantial drop from 51,140 in 2015. This could be due to numerous factors, but predominantly it seems to correlate with the rise and fall of the market, and the numerous recession hits that have occurred across the last two decades.
Yet there is evidence of a rise in people choosing to get cosmetic procedures from statistics of 2017-2018 (0.1%) and a substantial rise between 2018-2019 (12.2%). There has been evidence of a steep decline of the amount of money that is being spent in high street shops and on items that can be considered luxurious.
However, although the decline of high street sales is continuing, cosmetic surgery has begun to rise again, bucking the original trend. The question then is re-introduced, what is the causation for the rise of surgical and non-surgical procedures?
Non-Surgical Procedures – is it Kardashian Approved?
The draw of non-surgical procedures is likely because they are more accessible and affordable, they’ve become the norm not only for celebrities, but for the population in general. Any local beautician is now flogging lip injections so that you can get that ‘Kylie Jenner’ look that every other person is also dying to achieve. Always with a huge discount and no consultation needed.
You can even now buy your own ‘filler’ and needles without a certification for a mere £10 on some wholesale webpages. A quick fix that ends with life-altering scarring and issues that are often irreversible. Countless news articles are published daily in regards ‘botched’ surgery affecting the day to day life of yet another individual, yet we still feel the need to test it for ourselves, because being British we love a bargain. It won’t affect us because that’s just some person on the news, right?
This mindset, unfortunately, has damaging consequences. Cases of eyelifts causing people to go blind. Lip injections can cause tissue necrosis (when cells in the lips begin to die) your own lips deteriorate rapidly and almost appear to melt off your face. The non-surgical industry has grown rapidly and is worth around £2.75 billion in the UK alone, let alone on an international level.
Although these discounted fillers may feel like the solution to those who want to achieve celebrity appearances on a living wage, the cost of fixing a botched procedure is over £1000. So although you could be getting an original ‘bargain’ the overall cost along with the effects it could have on your physical and mental health completely should outweigh your decisions to choose a cheap unqualified practice.
Cosmetic Surgery Abroad
Surgical procedures abroad are another example of choosing to go for something within a certain price range, rather than quality. The saying does go ‘quality over quantity’ which is something we often tend to forget in our current financial climate, however when it comes to your body you should really consider the former rather than the latter.
Cosmetic surgery abroad is often cheaper than the UK, however should there be any issues after the surgery, returning to see the surgeon could add hundreds of pounds in surgical fees and mean you may have to prolong the time you are abroad (which can add its own complications). Holiday travel insurance doesn’t usually cover surgical complications, especially if the surgery was performed during the trip for aesthetic purposes.
The NHS will treat life-threatening complications, but any other problems may have to be covered by you, either by going back to the clinic where you had treatment, or paying for private treatment in the UK, once again adding a huge expense onto an already expensive treatment plan.
The NHS warns of Holiday packages including cosmetic surgeries. These should be approached with absolute caution. If websites are selling cosmetic surgery as part of a holiday, you need to be questioning why, and what this entails in its entirety. If you’re looking at holiday packages:
- Make sure you have a consultation with the surgeon (avoid meetings only with salespeople.)
- Do not pay for a hospital you have never seen.
- Do not pay to see a surgeon you have not met.
- You need to rest. You should not drink alcohol, lie in the sun, go sightseeing or go in the water.
- Speak to someone who speaks your language: language barriers can mean that clarity of communication can be lost, which is essential for ensuring safe treatment. This can cause difficulty in checking the credentials of the surgeon along with stating if there is any hesitation from yourself.
Things to consider before getting any Cosmetic Treatment
- Do your research! You will need to find out all you can about the treatment/s you want. Think about why you want them, and what has brought you to make these decisions. Consider your expectations and look to whether or not they are realistic or are far too abstract to be achievable.
- Visit all potential surgeons. If you are thinking about cosmetic surgery, speak to your GP. Make sure that you find a surgeon who has the right qualifications and is registered with the FMC. Make sure you see pictures and have testimonials from previous patients, so that you can compare their work and see if the results are roughly identical or if there is a large difference in the quality of their work. Most Importantly: make sure you meet them before you commit to having something done.
- Have each surgeon do a Consultation. Your surgeon will discuss and clarify the treatment options with you and then plan your treatment, if all of the surgeons you have visited come to the same or similar conclusion you can then work out which you would personally prefer. However, if one seems to be extremely different, then you need to consider not using them for your own safety. Find out as much as possible by bringing along questions so you know the risks involved and feel comfortable with the surgeon who will be carrying out your surgery.
- You need to be definite about any decision to have cosmetic surgery. After your initial consultation, don’t commit to surgery, give it some thought and make sure that you are confident in the decisions you have made. Beware of pressure from time-sensitive discounts and offers these often mean that there is something not right, and maybe you need to consider looking elsewhere.
- Aftercare is exceptionally important for the healing process, make sure you know the aftercare plan and how you will be looked after.
Final Thoughts
If you are still concerned about having a procedure done, then you could have this checked through one of the national organisations such as Save Face, which is a national register of Accredited practitioners who provide non-surgical cosmetic treatments. You will be able to find a safe reputable practitioner which has been fully accredited.
Useful Links
Save Face
WHAT TO DO NEXT
If you yourself have had a surgical or non-surgical procedure that has left you scarred or has given you significant issues, then please do not hesitate to get in touch today for a free initial consultation. Choose one of the methods on the right-hand side of this page, or call us on 0113 200 9787 to find out how we can help you.
Bapras Resource
Saveface Resource
Statista Resource
NHS Resource
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